"This innovative book shows you how to turn a struggling pet business into a lucrative, stress-free enterprise. You will learn how to create the foundation to build a six-figure pet business, ensure business success from the start, plan your work and work your plan with the one-hour business-plan, removes the roadblocks to let financial abundance flow in, understand your commitment and value in business, easily work with business financials and spreadsheets, market and sell to generate real results, find, work with and keep staff--and the secrets to hiring with ease, set powerful goals to achieve pet business success. -- P. [4] of cover.
Yes, you can build a thriving career as a dog trainer — and dog training expert Susan Bulanda will show you how step-by-step! Whether you're passionate about dogs and eager to turn your love for canine companionship into a rewarding profession, or an experienced trainer looking to elevate your business in new and exciting ways, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Inside, you'll discover: • step-by-step start-up strategies • effective marketing techniques • essential business skills • client management and communication • advanced canine training insights • legal and financial know-how Written by expert dog trainer and educator Susan Bulanda, The Business of Dog Training combines industry knowledge and experience with actionable advice, making it an indispensable resource for anyone looking to turn a passion for dogs into a prosperous career. Yes, you can pawsitively make a real impact in the lives of dogs and their owners. It’s easier — and more fulfilling — than you think! Your dream career starts here . . . Fetch it! CHAPTERS Introduction Why Be A Dog Trainer? Overview of What You Need to Know Your Business Plan Your Protection Dog Trainers Insurance Contracts Your Services Fees Business License Business Name Promoting Yourself Bookmarks and Business Cards Business Phone Web Site Blog Site Presentations Articles Veterinarian Clinics/Hospitals Newspapers and the Yellow Pages Brochures Referral Groups Networking Fairs, Craft Shows and Carnivals The Type of Basic Obedience Classes You Offer Training Facility Taxes Equipment Getting a Helper Client Records What kind of trainer do you want to be? Specializations Where to Learn the Techniques and Why Books Clubs Mentors Seminar Videos & Webinars, Podcast Self-Taught Techniques to Teach the Owners Do’s and Don’ts Handouts for Clients Handout of “Don’ts” Keep Up with The Latest Research and Information Analyzing Reports and Information Dogs Breed Trends Medical Issues Sports Food & Treats Toys Certifications and Organizations Organizations Certifications Multi-species Other Services to Offer Clients Counseling Owners General Counseling Grief Counseling Selecting and Finding the Right Dog Step One: Determine which breed or type of dog is best for you. Step Two: Get the Names of Breeders. Step Three: Call the people who own puppies from their last litter. Step Four: Visit the breeder, see the dogs. Step Five: Call the breed club and ask about the breeder you like. Step Six: Wait for your puppy! The Children(s) Role in Selecting a Dog/Puppy Medical Decisions Evaluating Litters Evaluating Adult Dogs Doggie Day Care Boarding Kennel Pet Sitting Dog Walking Referrals Beyond Being A Dog Trainer Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups Therapy Dogs Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Evaluator Managing Your Time New Dog Trainers A Bad Referral Readings and Resources Resources Videos/DVD/Books AUTHOR BIO Susan Bulanda is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant in practice since 1961 and has been a search-and-rescue dog trainer and handler since 1981. She is the Head trainer of the Phoenixville Fire Department K9 Search & Rescue Unit. Learn more at www.sbulanda.com.
The Dog Trainer's Resource 2 is made up of the best articles from award winning APDT's Chronicle of the Dog. Each article stands alone and contains valuable professional development information for trainers and would-be trainers. Learn about modern, science-based, motivational dog training from the best in the field. Each article is written by an expert and covers an important aspect of working with dogsand people! Also covers the business aspects of working with dogs.
The demand for skilled dog trainers has never been greater. To succeed in one of this field, you'll need more than dog expertise you'll need business savvy as well. Written for the non-business person, this book provides the information you need to start, operate, and prosper in your chosen field of dog training. Beginning with an overview of the different areas to create a dog training business, the book provides what it takes to break into and succeed in the top dog training fields. Readers learn what associations they need to become a part of as well as how to build counsel, structure, and support. Marketing information helps people expand and grow their business. Tips from a variety of established dog trainers gives this book an edge above the competition.
The Dog Trainer’s Resource 3 contains the best APDT Chronicle of the Dog articles from the past few years, placing a special emphasis on developing skills in areas where many dog trainers may lack experience, like specialized training protocols and improving business practices for profitability and longevity.
benefits that your services can provide to owners and their dogs, you realize that you must be an effective salesperson to have a successful business. Author John Visconti takes the mystery and fear out of the selling process in this book which belongs in the toolbox of every professional dog trainer. Meet your own personal sales coach!
Thank Goodness! At long last, an approach that focuses on the people-motivating aspects of the business of pet dog training. It doesn't matter how good you are at training dogs, if you lack sales savvy and people skills for promotion, few dogs will benefit from your experience and expertise. I love this book. I really like the style—well written, catchy and always straight to the point. Dr. Ian Dunbar, Founder of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers.
In this playful and incredibly enjoyable book, John Visconti shows readers many qualities that they already possess to sell their training services effectively and with heart. No longer will “sales” be a dirty word and trainers who read and apply the wisdom from this book will relish in their confidence and happily realize their goal of to helping more dogs and owners. Malena DeMartini-Price, author of Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs
I really enjoyed the humor, personal stories, quotes and resources that this book provides. It’s packed with wonderful thought provoking topics that give the reader nuggets to think about and apply to their own business. John coaches you to think of sales in a more inviting and less intimidating light. I truly appreciate his approach and highly recommend this book to dog professionals who have a less than desirable CER about “sales.” The more comfortable we all are in our business the more dogs and families we can reach! Jennifer Shryock, B.A., CDBC Founder & Director of FPPE
Most of us dog trainers are absolutely terrible salespeople! We tend to let our compassion get the better of us, and we have a hard time realizing what we are really worth. John’s book is an excellent handbook for recognizing our value and selling ourselves effectively! Michelle Douglas, CPDT-KA, CDBC, Past President, APDT
Author John Visconti, CPDT-KA is the owner of Rising Star Dog Training Services; Rising Star Dog Training; Dog Trainer ConneXion business management software; and Fetch More Dollars sales consulting. He lives in North Carolina with his canine companions.
With the proliferation of titles in the market today, why another book on pet dog training? Because most of them sound wonderful, but don't work! And the dogs being trained often develop problems as a result. Frustrated pet owners are looking for practical, humane answers -- that provide results. The experienced approach contained in The ABC Practical Training Guide has proven itself with over 40,000 dog owners across the United States and Canada who have found their answers "as simple as ABC."
No Buddy Left Behind unveils the life-altering relationships American troops serving in the Middle East have shared with the stray dogs and cats they've rescued from the brutalities of war. Overcoming monumental obstacles, Operation Baghdad Pups' program manager Terri Crisp makes it her mission to save these wartime “buddies,” get them out of danger, and bring them home to the soldiers who love them. How exactly does someone get animals out of a country at war when normal resources are lacking and every step of a plan to transport animals could get you arrested, kidnapped, or blown apart? As Crisp soon learns, each rescue mission from first to last is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience, and no animal is truly safe until its paws touch U.S. soil. Terri and her team have saved the lives of 223 dogs and forty-two cats befriended by military personnel since February 2008—and No Buddy Left Behind finally tells this story.
Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz is a very special trainer. She knows dogs instinctively, and, drawing on lessons she learned from raising three children, she uses the power of positive reinforcement and bonding to train dogs to be joyful, obedient, and devoted members of a family. Dog lovers throughout the Washington, DC, area know her: She trained each of the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s dogs, and when the Obama family were deciding on a puppy— and could have chosen any trainer in the world to work with—it was Ms Sylvia-Stasiewicz who trained Bo. In The Love That Dog Training Program, a lively, accessible, authoritative book, she shares her invaluable and proven program. Her method is based on positive reinforcement. She believes in trust and treats, not choke collars; in bonding, not squeezing or hitting. Her dogs are happy and self-confident, spirited yet very well-behaved. The basic program is five weeks, it takes only 15 or 20 minutes a day, and it works for both puppies and dogs, including retraining a dog with bad habits. Illustrated with step-by-step photographs, The Love That Dog Training Program covers hand-feeding. Crate training and potty training. Simple commands—sit, stay, come here—as well as more complex goals, such as bite inhibition and water safety. It shows how to avoid or correct common behavioral problems including jumping, barking, noise phobias, hiding, and more. Then: how to make your dog comfortable in the world—a dog that travels well, knows how to behave in a dog park or vet’s office, is comfortable around strangers, and more. As the author points out, dog training never ends, it just gets easier—and even more rewarding.
